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CrashStats

Somerset road accidents in 1981: crash map and statistics

Police recorded 1,833 road traffic collisions in Somerset in 1981, and 2,531 people were killed or injured in them. Of those collisions, 71 were fatal and 658 were serious.

Collisions were up 2% on 1980 (1,793), and casualties rose from 2,502.

Across all years from 1979 to 2025, police recorded 70,092 collisions in Somerset.

Collisions in 1981
1,833
Up 2% on 1980
Casualties in 1981
2,531
Up 1% on 1980
Fatal collisions
71
3.9% of collisions
Serious collisions
658
36% of collisions

Crash severity in Somerset in 1981

3.9% of collisions in Somerset in 1981 were fatal and 36% serious, against 2.5% and 20% in Somerset from 1979 to 2025.

Collisions by worst injury

  • Fatal713.9%
  • Serious65836%
  • Slight1,10460%

People hurt, by injury

  • Fatal843.3%
  • Serious82132%
  • Slight1,62664%

Somerset road accidents by year

Collisions and casualties in Somerset, 1979 to 2025

Collisions peaked at 1,888 in 2005. 1981 is highlighted, with 1,833, up 2% on 1980.

  • Collisions
  • Collisions in 1981
  • Casualties

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

View as a table
YearCollisionsCasualties
20258561,148
20248641,215
20237911,172
20227391,030
2021735996
2020637834
20199941,384
20189731,377
20171,0001,464
20161,0531,552
20151,0221,455
20141,1621,623
20131,1571,608
20121,0751,529
20111,1521,652
20101,2721,792
20091,4142,019
20081,5602,228
20071,7552,479
20061,8372,549
20051,8882,637
20041,7572,448
20031,7592,452
20021,8842,593
20011,8572,650
20001,8662,709
19991,8192,514
19981,8802,656
19971,8392,550
19961,6952,370
19951,7372,485
19941,6972,398
19931,5302,155
19921,6462,313
19911,7242,411
19901,8712,540
19891,7862,477
19881,7892,480
19871,7262,377
19861,7522,383
19851,7192,365
19841,8022,459
19831,7662,414
19821,7982,483
19811,8332,531
19801,7932,502
19791,8312,569

When and where crashes happen in Somerset in 1981

Collisions by day of the week

  • Monday213 (12%)
  • Tuesday251 (14%)
  • Wednesday248 (14%)
  • Thursday265 (14%)
  • Friday311 (17%)
  • Saturday296 (16%)
  • Sunday249 (14%)

Collisions by time of day

  • 00:00 to 02:59104 (5.7%)
  • 03:00 to 05:5916 (0.9%)
  • 06:00 to 08:59181 (9.9%)
  • 09:00 to 11:59260 (14%)
  • 12:00 to 14:59325 (18%)
  • 15:00 to 17:59426 (23%)
  • 18:00 to 20:59272 (15%)
  • 21:00 to 23:59249 (14%)

Collisions by month

  • January112 (6.1%)
  • February110 (6%)
  • March140 (7.6%)
  • April153 (8.3%)
  • May168 (9.2%)
  • June123 (6.7%)
  • July172 (9.4%)
  • August173 (9.4%)
  • September198 (11%)
  • October174 (9.5%)
  • November155 (8.5%)
  • December155 (8.5%)

Light conditions

  • Daylight1,302 (71%)
  • Dark, no street lighting285 (16%)
  • Dark, street lights lit230 (13%)
  • Dark, street lights unlit11 (0.6%)
  • Dark, lighting unknown5 (0.3%)

Weather at the time

  • Fine, no high winds1,395 (76%)
  • Raining, no high winds210 (11%)
  • Fine with high winds51 (2.8%)
  • Raining with high winds35 (1.9%)
  • Fog or mist25 (1.4%)
  • Snowing with high winds12 (0.7%)
  • Snowing, no high winds7 (0.4%)
  • Other90 (4.9%)
  • Not recorded8 (0.4%)

Road surface

  • Dry1,192 (65%)
  • Wet or damp584 (32%)
  • Frost or ice35 (1.9%)
  • Snow17 (0.9%)
  • Flood over 3cm deep5 (0.3%)

Speed limit at the scene

  • 30 mph801 (44%)
  • 40 mph38 (2.1%)
  • 50 mph4 (0.2%)
  • 60 mph916 (50%)
  • 70 mph74 (4%)

Type of road

  • Single carriageway1,621 (88%)
  • Dual carriageway114 (6.2%)
  • One way street or slip road53 (2.9%)
  • Roundabout44 (2.4%)
  • Not recorded1 (0.1%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Who was hurt in road crashes in Somerset in 1981

Casualties by road user

  • Car occupant1,243 (49%)
  • Motorcyclist663 (26%)
  • Pedestrian270 (11%)
  • Cyclist228 (9%)
  • Van occupant59 (2.3%)
  • Goods vehicle occupant (over 3.5 tonnes)32 (1.3%)
  • Bus or coach occupant16 (0.6%)
  • Taxi or private hire car occupant10 (0.4%)
  • Other vehicle occupant8 (0.3%)
  • Minibus occupant2 (0.1%)

Casualties by age

  • 0 to 538 (1.5%)
  • 6 to 1098 (3.9%)
  • 11 to 15167 (6.6%)
  • 16 to 20861 (34%)
  • 21 to 25298 (12%)
  • 26 to 35376 (15%)
  • 36 to 45190 (7.5%)
  • 46 to 55143 (5.6%)
  • 56 to 65141 (5.6%)
  • 66 to 75139 (5.5%)
  • Over 7580 (3.2%)

Drivers, passengers and pedestrians

  • Driver or rider1,552 (61%)
  • Passenger709 (28%)
  • Pedestrian270 (11%)

Vehicles involved

  • Car1,866 (58%)
  • Motorcycle673 (21%)
  • Pedal cycle245 (7.7%)
  • Goods vehicle over 3.5 tonnes162 (5.1%)
  • Van or goods vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes132 (4.1%)
  • Bus or coach50 (1.6%)
  • Other vehicle41 (1.3%)
  • Taxi or private hire car17 (0.5%)
  • Minibus16 (0.5%)

Source: Department for Transport, STATS19 road safety data

Crash map for Somerset in 1981

Map of the last 24 crashes of 1981 in Somerset

Use the arrow keys to move the map and the plus and minus keys to zoom.

  • 24 crashes
  • Serious
  • Slight

How Somerset ranked among 349 areas in 1981

Of the 349 areas in England, Scotland and Wales, Somerset had the 17th most road collisions in 1981.

Collisions
17th
highest of 349 areas
Casualties
13th
highest of 349 areas
Fatal collisions
3rd
highest of 349 areas
Serious collisions
7th
highest of 349 areas

Roads in Somerset with the most crashes in 1981

The A38 had the most collisions in Somerset in 1981: 169, including 6 fatal and 59 serious.

Roads ranked by collisions in Somerset, 1981
RankRoadCollisionsCasualtiesFatalSerious
1stA38169214659
2ndA39139220656
3rdA361111137439
4thA35890127331
5thA3769114225
6thA306298522
7thA30358107826
8thB31394962416
9thA3714262015
10thM54166114
11thA3723653313
12thB3151223318
13thA359213027
14thA3782135010
15thB3165192306
16thA362182404
17thB3153173516
18thB3135162319
19thA3038151803
20thA3088152003

Towns in Somerset: crashes in 1981

Taunton had the most collisions of any town in Somerset in 1981: 180.

Postcode districts in Somerset: crashes in 1981

TA1 had the most collisions of any postcode district in Somerset in 1981: 150.

Former districts in Somerset in 1981

Somerset now covers 6 former district councils, abolished in April 2019 and April 2023. Of these, South Somerset had the most collisions in 1981: 547.

Latest crashes in Somerset in 1981

Of the last 24 crashes in Somerset in 1981, none were fatal and 7 were serious. The last was on 31 December 1981.

Severity

Somerset road accidents in other years